1 Match the words into the right word-combinations:

1.1 literate difficulties

1.2 conditions discoveries

1.3 material of science

1.4 to send connection

1.5 numerous fellow-villager

1.6 to complete mass of a body

1.7 giant philosopher

1.8 to be worthy of work

1.9 unchanged abroad

1.10 close of the activities

1.11 materialist curriculum

2 Agree or disagree to the following statements. Find the correct answers in the text:

2.1 The Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov was born in 1711 in Arkhangelsk Gubernia, in the family of

a fisherman.

2.2 At the age of 21 he left his native village and made his way to Petersburg, where he succeeded to

enter the University.

2.3 Material difficulties and the conditions of work discouraged young Lomonosov.

2.4 Lomonosov’s tireless scientific and practical activities were striking for their breadth and diversity.

2.5 The Law of Conservation of Mass is formulated as follows: “The mass of a body changes by any

physical or chemical change to which it may be subjected”.

2.6 Lomonosov developed a corpuscular theory of the structure of substance.

2.7 Explaining chemical phenomena through the laws of physics, the great scientist founded a new

science, namely, physical chemistry.

2.8 This outstanding Russian physicist emphasized the necessity of a close connection between

chemistry and mathematics.

2.9 The Moscow University was founded in 1855 thanks to the efforts and after the project of

Mendeleyev.

2.10 The Moscow University became a major centre of Russian enlightenment and science.

2.11 Lomonosov was a good citizen and patriot, who devoted all his life and energy to the promotion of

Russian science.

3 Answer the following questions:

3.1 When, where and what family was M.V. Lomonosov born to?

3.2 Who taught him to read and write?

3.3 Where did Lomonosov study?

3.4 Why didn’t Lomonosov finish the last grade of the Academy?

3.5 How did he get to Moscow?

3.6 Did Lomonosov study only in Russia?

3.7 What scientific degrees did he receive?

3.8 What theories and laws did the great Russian scientist discover and formulate?

3.9 Was Lomonosov a materialist philosopher?

3.10 What fields of science did he work in?

3.11 Do you remember how Pushkin called Lomonosov?

4 Try to retell the text giving all possible information about our outstanding scientist

M.V. Lomonosov.

Topic 6 Famous People of Science and Engineering. Thomas Elva Edison

Read and remember the following word-combinations from the text:

a thoughtful little boy – задумчивый маленький мальчик

to be inquisitive – быть любознательным

to teach smb. athome – обучать кого-либо дома

to make progress – делать успехи

to take an interest in smth.– проявлять интерес к чему-либо

to go on with experiments – продолжать эксперименты

toearnone’sliving– зарабатывать на жизнь

toboxone’sear– ударить в ухо

to lose one’s hearing – потерять слух

to set fire to – поджигать что-либо

to become deaf – стать глухим

to show one’s gratitude – проявлять благодарность

to spend all the spare moments in the study of chemistry and electricity – проводить всё свободное время, изучая химию и электричество

to improve telegraph apparatus – улучшить телеграфный аппарат

to invent the phonograph – изобретать фонограф

tomakemanyusefulinventions– сделать много полезных изобретений

Text

Edison was a thoughtful little boy. He was very inquisitive and always wanted to know how to do things. He was not very strong and went to school when he was quite a big child. But his teacher thought him very stupid because he asked so many questions. So his mother, who was a teacher, took him away from school at the end of two months and taught him at home. With so kind a teacher he made progress and above all he learned to think. His mother had some good books and among them an encyclopedia. It was probably from the encyclopedia that he first took an interest in chemistry. He liked to make experiments, so he bought some books and made a little laboratory in the cellar of his home.

When he was twelve years old, he started to earn his living and became a newsboy on the train which ran from Port Huron to Detroit. There was a corner in the baggage car where he kept his stocks of newspapers, magazines and candy. To this corner he moved his little laboratory and library of chemical books, and when he was not busy, went on with his experiments. All went well for two or three years. But when he was in his sixteenth year, one day a phosphorus bottle broke on the floor. It set fire to the baggage car, and the conductor not only put the boy off the train, but soundly boxed his ear. That was the most unfortunate part of the accident, for as a result Edison gradually lost his hearing and became almost deaf.

Once he was standing on the platform of the station in Michigan watching a coming train, when he saw the station agent’s little boy on the track right in front of the coming engine. Another moment and the child would have been crushed, but Edison sprang to the track, seized the little one in his arms and rolled with him to one side, just in time to escape the wheels. To show his gratitude the baby’s father offered to teach telegraphy to Edison.

Working at telegraphy he at the same time spent all the spare moments in the study of chemistry and electricity. Experimenting he improved telegraph apparatus. About the same time Edison made an improvement in the transmitter of the telephone which made it easier for the waves to travel, and improved the usefulness of the telephone very much. It was just about the same time that he invented the phonograph. This is the parent idea of the gramophone, dictaphone and other instruments, but these inventions are only a small part of the work of this wonderful man.

Exercises: